It is known to provide water-discharge fixtures, e.g. faucets, having one or more valves and respective inlet fittings for controlling water flow and one or more spigots through which the water is discharged, with a connector assembly which enables a nipple of the, or each, valve to be connected to an offset pipe fitting, also referred to as an S-connector, or other means providing water supply to the fitting.
It is not uncommon to provide the nipple with a nut which is threaded onto a male threaded portion of the S-connector or offset connector so as to clamp the end of the nipple against the end of the connector via a seal, e.g. an elastomeric washer which is interposed between the two. The opposite male threaded end of the S-connector is designed to be connected to the water supply piping, e.g. by a compression fitting or some other threaded pipe fitting structure.
In Swiss Pat. No. 414,484, such a connecting assembly is described in which there is also threaded onto an offset fitting or S-fitting, a collar or apron which encloses at least part of the offset fitting and thus provides a more pleasing appearance for the connector assembly where it emerges from the wall. This arrangement is used primarily in shower or bathroom fixture mountings.
One of the problems with the assembly shown in this patent, however, is that the collar which is used to conceal the offset fitting and thus to improve the appearance, does not cover the nut which must be provided with surfaces, e.g. flats enabling engagement by a wrench, key or the like and this, of course, leaves these surfaces exposed.